Crack It In An Hour

This week on Crack It in an Hour , Jesse brings Roman and Simon a challenge that hits close to home: how do we make the US a cool place to visit again? International tourism to the US is down, global perception has taken a hit, and traditional travel campaigns feel disconnected from what travelers actually want to experience. But when international visitors do come, they leave loving the local quirks, hidden regional cultures, and unapologetic American scale that don't make it into traditional travel ads. So how do you separate politics from the actual tourist experience? Can you market regional pockets, roadside quirks, and "the mostest most" without sounding defensive or tone-deaf? And what happens when you let expats reframe the myth of America on their own terms? It’s a massive problem, but did we crack it? Check it out!

This week on Crack It in an Hour, Simon brings us a problem: how do we add more danger back into our lives? Here's the paradox: we're safer than ever—traffic deaths down 63%, workplace injuries plummeting, violent crime down 72%. Yet anxiety is up 84%, teen distress is soaring, and people are more anxious than ever. So what's missing? The team explores whether small, chosen doses of danger actually build the resilience we need to live better lives. They debate what danger really means, why it's been monopolized by extreme sports, and how to make accessible danger desirable again. Did we crack it? Check it out!

Make sure to buckle up for this weeks episode where special guest Ben Majoy brings a very unconventional problem to Jesse, Simon, and Romain. Majoy argues cigarettes deserve a more nuanced conversation—one that accounts for social connection, spontaneity, and joy alongside physical health. Did they Crack it? Find out on this weeks episode!

This week on Crack It in an Hour, special guest, and friend of the pod Biff Butler brings Simon, Maria, and Jesse a hefty question: how do we get people to aspire to less? In a culture built around bigger, better, faster, and more, what would it actually look like to find enough? The team explores how social comparison, consumerism, convenience, and even the way we spend money have shaped what we think we need—and whether a little more friction could help us appreciate what we already have. From vinyl and movie theaters to digital payments, hustle culture, and the dopamine of constant consumption, they unpack the difference between aspiration that brings fulfillment and aspiration that simply keeps us wanting more. So… can we learn to want less without giving up the things that make life exciting? Did they crack it in an hour? Check it out.

This week on Crack It in an Hour, Romain brings a deceptively simple question: how do we get more people to go thrifting? With Gen Z embracing secondhand while adoption drops among older generations, what’s holding people back? From fear of judgment and hygiene concerns to confusing shopping experiences, the team explores what’s keeping people from the thrill of the hunt—and how we could make thrifting feel more accessible, social, and exciting. Did they crack it? Check it out!

When did saying “hi” to the person next door get so weird?Maria brings Jesse and Simon a deceptively simple problem: people are talking to their neighbors less. Has technology disrupted the little interactions that used to build relationships? Are we too distracted—or just afraid of being vulnerable?What’s really stopping us from saying hello? And can we fix it? Did they crack it in an hour? Check it out.

This week on Crack It in an Hour, Brooke Lonegan, Head of Creative Strategy at Audible, brings Simon and Jesse a challenge hiding in plain sight: how do we make people care about libraries again? Libraries have evolved far beyond books, offering maker spaces, digital media labs, creative classes, and resources for entrepreneurs and creators. So why do so many people still think of them as outdated? The team explores whether libraries have a branding problem, how they can compete in the age of YouTube and creator culture, and whether they should reposition themselves as spaces for creativity, independence, and community. If libraries are one of our most valuable public resources, what would it take to make people see them that way? Did we crack it? Check it out!

This week on Crack It in an Hour, Simon brings Maria and Jesse a problem that sounds quaint on the surface but gets weird fast: how do we make hot air balloons cool? Somewhere along the way, hot air balloons got misbranded by the people on the ground. To spectators, they’re pretty, peaceful, colorful things floating across the sky. But the reality of actually going up in one is CRAZY…open flame, wind, altitude, uncertain landings, and the very real feeling that you’ve handed control over to the weather So… have we been thinking about them all wrong? Are hot air balloons closer to an extreme sport than a scenic ride? Are they the ultimate adventure vehicle hiding in plain sight? And if we stopped selling them as gentle tourist moments and started treating them like fire-powered expeditions, what kind of new market could open up? You’ll have to listen to find out where they land.

Romain brings us a problem that should already be solved: how do you get people to wear sunscreen? The danger is obvious. The solution is cheap, available and easy to understand. Yet more than a third of people never wear sunscreen, and plenty of the people who do use nowhere near enough. So what’s going wrong? Is sunscreen too greasy, too annoying and too easy to forget? Is skin damage simply too distant to feel urgent? Or has the category spent too much time selling protection and not enough time making sunscreen desirable? It's an obvious solution to an obvious problem, but did we crack it? Check it out!

In this first-ever two-problem episode, Romain and Jesse tackle two surprisingly complicated questions. First: how do you end a friendship that’s become toxic? Unlike romantic relationships, there are no social rules, no scripts, and often no closure. They explore why friendships quietly fade, when a difficult conversation is necessary, and whether ghosting, honesty, or simply letting paths diverge is the better approach. Then they turn to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ask a question sparked by the tournament itself: are penalty shootouts the best way to decide football’s biggest matches? They debate why penalties create some of sport’s most unforgettable moments, whether they’re a fair test of a team’s quality, and imagine alternative ways to settle knockout games without losing the drama.

Live from Cannes at the PayPal Ads Studio, Sylvain Tron from Cylndr Studios drops a deceptively juicy question on the table: does Timothée Chalamet have a branding problem? Romain immediately flips the question, Jesse challenges whether there's even a problem to solve, and Simon reaches for a Taylor Swift comparison when the Leo/Gosling reference points start breaking down. Things get real when the conversation cracks open into ambition — why France (and Canada's "tallest poppy") clip anyone who voices it, why Chalamet and Mbappé get called arrogant for simply saying they want to be the best, and how this guy isn't playing the Hollywood game by the rules — he's playing the generational game on a 4D level. The verdict? They cracked it — by realizing there was nothing to crack. Chalamet's a wizard, and if you don't get it, it's not for you. Check it out!

Maria Galleriu from 72andSunny joins the crew live from Cannes (at the PayPal Ad Studio) and drops a heavy one on the table: the male loneliness epidemic. She comes armed with stats — men with zero close friends have shot up over the decades — and a thesis she's very happy to needle Romain with: women are just better at this. From there it gets real. The gang digs into why male friendships fall apart (they're shoulder-to-shoulder and activity-based, so when the activity ends, so does the friendship), whether you can actually teach boys to say "I love you," and Simon's golden rule of just being a good hang. Ideas fly: hikes as the ultimate vulnerability hack, reframing "friendship-maxing" as a longevity flex, and bringing back the PSA to remind people friendship matters. Maria closes with a genuinely moving story about her Romanian immigrant dad that gives everyone goosebumps. Did they crack it? Not even close — and everyone agreed it needs a full hour. Check it out!

Crack It on the Croisette continues at Cannes Lions, live from the PayPal Ads Studio — and this time the challenge comes from guest Gareth Kay of Coinbase. His question: how do you make financial literacy not suck? Three quarters of Americans fail basic financial literacy tests, yet most financial education is dull enough to guarantee nobody pays attention. The crew quickly agrees the real problem isn't the tools — it's everything around them. Jesse argues that culture talks "money" while brands keep talking "finance," and money is the version that's actually cool, cultural, and fun. Romain digs into the trust gap (everyone teaching this is trying to sell you something) and the money taboo that runs even deeper outside the US. Simon zeroes in on the cultural stigma you have to clear before the conversation can even start. Plus: why your dad is a terrible financial advisor, the competitive instinct that keeps us all quiet, a gloriously fucked-up Meta glasses idea, and the case for handing this whole job to comedians. Did they crack it? Call it progress — which, for a systemic issue in 20 minutes, might be the honest win. Check it out!

Crack It heads to the Croisette in Cannes for a fast 20 minutes at the PayPal Ads Studio — and this time the challenge comes from guest Kirsten Rutherford, Executive Creative Director at DoorDash and self-described 47-year-old rave bunny who's usually the oldest person on the dance floor by about 25 years. Her question: how do we stop people aging out of the things they love? What follows is part tactical, part philosophical. Kirsten makes the case that clubs are leaving money on the table — literally — by only offering $5,000 bottle service when all she wants is a seat and a place to spend on drinks. Jesse goes after the sneaky vocabulary of "I'm too old for that" (and the mysterious groan everyone starts doing when they stand up), Simon confesses he's over-curated himself down to one or two shows a year, and Romain owns up to saying "I'm too old for this" way too often. Plus: French boulangerie morning raves, no-phone clubs, 30-and-up pizza parties, and a callback to the very first Crack It episode about bringing back aerobics. Did they crack it? Let's call it "ish" — possibly to be continued. Check it out!

In a society where we’re not having enough fun, birthdays feel like a layup. They come around every year, they’re personal, they’re a reason to get together and celebrate someone you care about. So why do so many of us act like they’re no big deal? In this episode Simon, Maria Van Buskirk and Biz Anderson dig into why birthdays can make people uncomfortable, why we don’t like talking about ourselves and why we still secretly want people to make a fuss. From the pressure of planning to the fear of seeming self-involved, the group tries to crack what’s getting in the way of bigger, better birthdays. Give it a listen!

Networking is responsible for countless jobs, partnerships, friendships, and business opportunities. It’s also one of the most universally disliked activities in professional life. Why does something so valuable feel so terrible? Ahead of their first trip to Cannes Lions, Jesse, Simon, and Romain attempt to redesign networking from the ground up: from debate-club panels and no-phoned allowed hot-take sessions to banning the question “What do you do?” Can they crack networking in an hour?

The global athleisure market is on its way to $900 billion. Formal wear? About $4 billion. Comfort won. But at what cost? This week, Romain brings the problem: how do you get people to dress up again? What starts as a data drop (enclothed cognition, productivity hits, one in twelve remote workers in pajamas every single day) turns into a deeper conversation about confidence, identity, and why "formal wear" might just be the worst two words in fashion. Simon's plotting a suit phase. Jesse won't budge (but she has found a jacket with beaded Minions on it). And somewhere between rebranding formal wear as "intelligent wear," the case for fashion-as-rebellion, and a truly compelling argument for wearing a cane in Cannes, the crew lands on something worth cracking: what does formal wear look like when it actually starts a conversation? Check it out!

Being late seems like one of those small everyday annoyances, but it turns out there’s a lot more going on under the surface. On this episode Simon brings the topic of lateness to Romain and Biz, and the gang gets into the strange ripple effects of people not showing up on time. When is being late understandable? When is it unacceptable? Why does it bother us so much? And what would it actually take to make people stop doing it? A surprisingly big conversation about a seemingly small problem. Check it out!

We're back with only our second-ever lightning round — three hosts, three problems, 20 minutes each. Nobody knows what's coming. Jesse kicks things off asking why we can't get more people to start cooking. Romain admits cooking stresses him out (it's the time pressure, not the talent), Simon reveals a rampant cocaine addiction — which, for the record, is just Romain mishearing "cooking" — and we land on a surprisingly solid framework: ditch the perfectionism, remove the steps you hate, and just make the one-pot meal. Then Romain brings the problem that literally started this whole podcast — the one we've been sitting on since a cold, wet night in Boston in January 2025. Why has nobody solved plane boarding? We go deep on window-to-aisle loading, the overhead bin chaos nobody enforces, why Southwest actually had it right all along, and Jesse's bold pitch to give everyone a boarding score. Simon closes it out with a big one: fixing email. Is it even fixable, or is it just a war of agents vs. agents from here on out? We pitch important.com, mailer.com, and garbage.com as the holy trinity of a better inbox — and somehow that feels like the most reasonable solution we've heard anywhere. Check it out!

Cable TV peaked at 105 million households in 2010. Today it's in less than 34% of American homes — and yet, somehow, streaming has become the new cable. Complicated bundles, decision fatigue, and the constant pressure to watch the right thing at the right time have made TV genuinely stressful. This week, Simon, Jesse, and Romain are joined by Maria Van Buskirk — newly minted Head of Comms and Go-to-Market at Significant — for her very first episode. Jesse brings the problem: how do you bring cable TV back from the dead? The crew digs into why streaming accidentally recreated everything people hated about cable, why a younger generation with zero nostalgia might actually be cable's best audience, and why the real pitch isn't about channels at all — it's about selling your "chill subscription." Oh, and there's a very strong case made for the return of the kitchen TV. Check it out!